Sheik Al Mihshee - Eggplant for a Sheik

Recipezaar.com recipe # 83484. This smelled amazing while baking, and I loved the finished dish, as well! I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned and used vegan butter substitute instead of the real thing. For the meat, I just used a variety of things I had in the freezer and chopped them finely and mixed. Some boca crumbles, chicken breast, and browned sausage.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, sliced and unpeeled (2 lb)
1 lb ground lamb or ground beef
1 (22 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 medium onions, sliced (or chopped)
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1. Lay out slices of eggplant on a large platter, and sprinkle with salt.


2. Let sit for approx 1/2 an hour.


3. Drain off water.


4. Brown meat and onions.


5. Add garlic, cook and stir for another minute, then drain.


6. Combine tomatoes with remaining seasonings.


7. Butter a casserole.


8. Layer half beef mixture, eggplant, tomatoes.


9. Repeat.


10. Cover.


11. Bake in an 450°F oven for 1 hour.

Jambalaya

This one has one cheat in it - I did use a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Very yummy without tomatoes, I was surprised!

This was recipe 114406 on Recipezaar.com. It had great reviews, and I agree!

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken (I like a combination of roasted light and dark chicken... with crispy skin)
1 lb peeled deveined raw shrimp
1/2 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
salt

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven, cook the smoked sausage in the olive oil until browned; add the onion and garlic and saute until golden and transparent.
2. Add the uncooked rice and cook, stirring briskly, until just starting to turn golden, then add the chicken broth and Worcestershire Sauce, stirring to combine with the rice-sausage-onion-garlic mixture.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add the cooked chicken, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, white pepper and black pepper.
4. Cook, covered, over low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes; add more liquid if you need to.
5. Then add the shrimp, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.
6. Season to taste with salt and more pepper if you like.